Lemonheads

Certain Songs #922: Lemonheads – “My Drug Buddy”

June 28, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: It’s A Shame About Ray
Year: 1992

No seriously, exactly how weird was it in 1993? Not only did a major record company let a next Next Big Thing make a song about his drug-taking the centerpiece of his breakthrough album, they even funded a video for it.

And while they changed it to the more innocuous “Buddy” for the reissue that they appended “Mrs. Robinson,” that was a formality that probably fooled exactly noone, because from the organ-driven, languorous vibe of the music to the emotional truth of the lyrics, “My Drug Buddy” was an gorgeously chilling cry for help.

Certain Songs #921: Lemonheads – “It’s A Shame About Ray”

June 28, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: It’s A Shame About Ray
Year: 1992

And then there was the hot second where Lemonheads were the next Next Big Thing.

This would be early 1993, of course. You know, that weird post-Nevermind period that spawned all sorts of unlikely hits from all sorts of unlikely places. And while Lemonheads had been recording since 1987, Evan Dando had only recently perfected his punk-pop songwriting chops, and was convinced — or got convinced — that maybe he could ride those chops (and his insane good looks) to Cobain-esque heights.

18 Musical Moments to Die For

April 20, 2009 by Jim Connelly

The Hold Steady, Wiltern, Los Angeles, Nov. 25, 2008

It’s been a couple of months since I’ve done one of these, but I’m back!! In black. (Which is a terrible choice, because it’s, like, 150 degrees today.)

This time, on Musical Moments to Die For, we have two of the greatest cover versions of two of the greatest songs ever recorded; druggy people writing songs about their drug problems, and casual rockstar sexism.

We also have the usual 80’s indie obscurity, and run the gamut from catchy artsy sophistication to catchy dumb-ass stomping crapola.

This is the eighth in a series: The first one had 25, the second one had 24, the third one had 23, the fourth one had 22, the fifth one had 21, and the sixth had 20, and the seventh had 19.